As organizations push for return-to-office (RTO) mandates, a new workplace trend has emerged: task masking. This behavior, where employees appear busy without necessarily being productive, is a growing concern for HR professionals striving to foster genuine engagement and efficiency.

In ASE’s recent Member Challenges Survey conducted in September, one of the top five challenges our members listed was developing talent, coaching for performance, and managing conflicting priorities. These challenges are interconnected and directly impact employee growth, satisfaction, and overall company success. By effectively addressing these issues, HR leaders can foster a more resilient and productive workforce. Here are some practical strategies for tackling these top HR...

Outsourcing of company work is as commonplace as any other means by which projects are assigned and completed. In a business-to-business framework, with contracts, SLA’s, and quality measures, it often makes sense and yields desired results while keeping full-time employee workloads in balance. Not all outsourcing, however, is a controlled process, visible throughout the chain of command. In his recent article “The Shadowy New Way Employees are Cheating Their Way to the...

Enhancing productivity often seems synonymous with increasing workload. However, research suggests that integrating strategic breaks into the workday can improve productivity and employee well-being.

In recent years, there has been a noticeable shift in how employers think about workplace benefits. Traditionally, benefits packages have focused on healthcare, retirement plans, and paid time off. While these are important, there is a growing recognition that financial wellness is a crucial aspect of overall employee well-being. This realization has prompted employers to reevaluate and expand their benefits offerings to better support their employees' financial health.

In the realm of remote work, the necessity of taking a lunch break often gets overlooked. Just like in traditional office settings these breaks are crucial for the health and productivity of remote workers. Let's explore why lunch breaks matter for those working remotely and how they contribute to overall well-being and efficiency.

Organizations can improve the work-life balance of their employees by training line managers in work-life support. This training reduces burnout in employees who have little control of when or where they work and increases family engagement of employees who have high work-life flexibility.

Another year; another trend – Similar to last year’s trend of "quiet quitting," where employees do the minimum due to burnout and feeling unappreciated, a new trend dubbed "resenteeism" has emerged, reflecting workers' low productivity driven by resentment. These employees feel obligated to stay in their current jobs due to financial commitments or familial responsibilities, yet they harbor dissatisfaction and resentment that hampers their performance.

Recent data from a study by MetLife reveals a concerning trend: employees are experiencing heightened levels of stress, burnout, and depression in the workplace. The pressures of the ongoing permacrisis state, compounded by financial concerns and persistently high living costs, have created a challenging environment for employees to navigate.

Are you sick of your calendar being full of meetings and never having time to get anything done? Well, you are not alone. Employees now attend an average of 8-17 meetings a week which is three times the number of average meetings than before the pandemic; studies show a 252% increase since February 2020.

Whether you're an avid sports fan or someone indifferent to the world of athletics, there's an undeniable power in witnessing a group of individuals collaborate toward a shared objective. Each team member, whether in the spotlight or on the sidelines, plays a crucial role, propelling each other towards their collective vision of success.

Last week I read a post on LinkedIn where the poster shared her need to be busy all the time. It caused me to recall how often my dad used to say, “Do something while you are resting.” That fostered a need in me to keep my hands busy all the time.

Showing gratitude in the workplace is the secret sauce for creating a positive and productive workplace. It's not just a fluffy feel-good thing – it's a game-changer that boosts everyone's mood, amps up team spirit, and helps the whole crew stay strong when things get crazy. Every employee deserves recognition for their contributions.  Doing so will foster a supportive team environment characterized by kindness and gratitude. As the old saying goes, “A simple...

With remote work and the new reality of the workplace since the pandemic, employee loneliness has grown dramatically. Studies show that loneliness brings health problems, reduced productivity, turnover, and burnout. A BetterUp report demonstrates how the pandemic fractured workplace relationships — with 43% of respondents saying they don’t feel a connection to their coworkers.  Some 38% said they don’t trust their coworkers, and 22% said they don’t have a single...

It seems like just a minute ago it was January. Now summer, with all of its holidays and vacations, are gone and Halloween is just a memory. We are heading into Thanksgiving, Christmas, and all of the other holidays that come between now and the end of the year.

New survey data from Wiley suggests workers are far less likely than their managers and senior-level executives to feel psychologically safe taking risks at work. The findings from the latest Wiley Workplace Intelligence report show a particularly wide gap between individual contributors and executives, which could lead to lower trust, engagement, and productivity in the workplace.

HR professionals are continually seeking ways to cut expenses, enhance operational efficiency, and uphold productivity. When it comes to onboarding procedures, the transition to a paperless approach emerges as a strategic way to realize these objectives. Below, we examine the advantages of paperless onboarding.

A recent Gartner survey has revealed a concerning rise in burnout cases among HR staff. A significant majority—close to 75%—of HR leaders who participated in Gartner's survey expressed that burnout among HR staff has become more challenging compared to the period before the pandemic.

Taking a vacation is the ultimate hack to recharge both mind and body, fostering renewed creativity and productivity upon return. It's a transformative pause that fuels personal growth and revitalizes work performance. However, according to a new Pew survey, only 46% of employees are utilizing all of their vacation time. Take that vacation!

In today's digital age, the integration of technology in the workplace has become increasingly common, revolutionizing the way we work. One notable aspect of this transformation is the implementation of employee monitoring tools, which have raised concerns among employees about their productivity and privacy. A recent survey conducted by Glassdoor revealed that over 40% of U.S. professionals feel less productive when they know their employer is monitoring their work devices....

Recently an article on process mapping, also known as workflow mapping, was brought to my attention and it reminded me that although process mapping is typically used for product manufacturing, engineering, or other organizational process improvement this organizational improvement tool can also improve human resource functions.

Impulsive employees can have a profound impact on the overall dynamics of a workplace. Their impulsive behavior is often driven by lack of self-control, emotional reactivity, short attention span, disregard for rules, and lack of accountability.

About half of workers are not fully engaged in their jobs, according to a study conducted by Gallup. This means they are only doing the minimum required to get by – not good for employers. This drop in employee engagement has happened two years in a row. But why?

Allergies seem to be at a peak this year.  Pollen season has started earlier and earlier in the past years, especially exacerbated by the mild winters.  Generally, allergy season is April to June, but it continues to start earlier and end later.  A study published in the Journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2021 found that the North American pollen season starts earlier and lasts longer than it did in 1990, with higher concentrations of pollen. Not good...

It just takes one bad apple…so the saying goes. One negative employee can have a significant impact on the work environment and the morale of other employees. Here are some ways in which a negative employee can affect work: